Yes I am a typically boring English person who rarely leaves the sanctuary of Old Blighty and this year marks the biggest adventure in my life yet! Well travel wise I think it is.

Thanks to the wonders of the PPI payments (check google it’s a long old tale) yours truly will be travelling to America for three whole weeks. Okay so basically I will be leaving from Birmingham, Birmingham has been quite an eventful part of my life too really. One of my prior boyfriends (still someone I am glad to be touch with) went to University there and many a night was spent mildly or extremely drunk but not this time. This time I shall be packed up ready to leave England on a massive holiday and I don’t think any amount of alcohol is going to steel the nerves.

So what have I learnt already? ESTA, no she’s not an aunty she is the right to travel pass for America. I first looked at it and it was daunting to fill in the application, then I came back and the site changed. Phew! It was so much easier than I expected and with just my passport number and correct details I was able to get through and pay the fee. You will need a credit card to do this, but that’s alright at least it’s done and they say I am allowed through the border.

I’ve flown before but the longest flights I have taken are Northern Ireland and Germany, they haven’t taken more than an hour so this time I am nervous that I will be up in the air for a very long time. My schedule has changed quite a few times already and now I’ve got a ten hour wait in New Jersey but I am sure that I will be too tired to care by then.

Why America? Firstly and most importantly it’s friends. Sincerely, I have friends that have always been there at the end of a PC or phone, they have listened to me through so much and I hope in turn I have been there for them too. Aside from my direct family and friends here they have been there through so much that I want to meet them and hug them in person. It’s not the same saying hugs on a phone now is it? Nope!

So the tickets are booked, the ESTA is ready. In 72 days I embark on a trail to another country and I am pretty damned excited I can tell you!